Sharp County record., 1887-06-23

guido, God for your help; then all is we'll;
all is we'll for time, all shall be we'll for.
ever. Blessed is that man who puts in
the Lord his trust. He shall never be con-
founded.
But my subject also impresses me with
the fact that when people start to follow
Christ they must not expect smooth sail
ing.
These disciples got into the small boat,
and have no doubt they said:
"What beautiful day this isl What a
smooth seal What bright sky this is
How delightful is sailing in this boat and
as for the waves under the keel OF the
boat, why they only make the motion OF
our little boat the more delightful
But when the winds swept down and
the sea was tossed into wrath, then they
found that following Christ was not
smooth sailing. So you have found it.; so
/ have found it. Did you ever notice the
end Of the life of the apostles of Jesus
Christi You would say that if ever men
ought to have smooth life, a smooth de-
parture, then those men, the disciples OF
Jesus Christ, ought to have had such
departure and such life.
st. James lost his head. st. Philip was
hung to death on pillar. st. Matthew
had his life dashed out with halbert
St Mark was dragged to death through
the streets. St. James tho Less was
beaten to death with fuller's club. St..
Thomas was struck through with spear.
They did not find following Christ smooth
sailing. Oh, how they were all tossed in
the tempestl John Huss in the fire.;
Hugh McKall IN the hour of martyrdom !;
the Albigenses,. the Waldenses, the
Scotch covenanters-did they find it
smooth sailing!
But why 60 to history when can come
into this audience to-day and find score
of illustrations Of the truth Of this SUBJ
ject. That young man in the store try ing
to serve God, while his employer SCOTS at
Christianity; the young men in the same
store antagonistic to the Christian re-
ligion, teasing him, tormenting him about
his religion, trying to get him mad. They
succeed in getting him mad, saying:
you're pretty Chris tian."
| Does this young man find it smooth sail
ing when he tries to follow Christi
Here is Christian girl. Her father de-
spises the Christian religion; her mother
! despises the Christian religion; her
| brothers and sisters scoff at the Christian
religion; she can hardly find quiet
place in which to say her prayers. Did
she find it smooth sailing when she tried
to follow Jesus Christi
Oh, mol All who would live the life of
the Christian religion must suffer perse-
cution; if you do not fed 1t in one way,
you will get it in another way. The ques-
| tion was asked:
"Who are those nearest the throneW
To this the answer came back:
"These are they who came up out Of
great tribulation'-grelt failing, as the
original has it; great failing, great pound
ing-"and had their robes washed and
made white in the blood of the Lamb"
Oh, do not be disheartenedl Oh, child
of God, take couragel You are in 60
rious companionship. God will see you
through all these trials, and He will de-
liver you.
Ny subject also impresses me with the
fact that some people get very much
frightened
| In the tones of these disciples as tn ey
rushed into the back plrt Of the boat, /
find they are frightened almost to death.
They say:
Master, carest Thou not that we perishs
They had no reason to be frightened,
for Christ was in the boat. l suppose if
we had been there we would have been
just as much frightened. Perhaps more.
In all ages very good people get very
much frightened. 1t is often so in our
day, and men say:
| "Why, look at the bad lectures; look at
the Spiritualistic socie ties; look at the
various errors going over the Church of
God; we are going to founder; the
Church is going to perish; she is going
down."
Oh, how many good people are alright
ed by iniquty in our day, and think the
church of Jesus Christ is going to be over
| thrown, and are just as much affrighted
as were the disciples of my text. Don't
worry, don't fret though iniquity were
! going to triumph over righteousness
| A lion goes into a cavern to sleep. He
lies down, with his shaggy name
covering the paws. Meanwhile the
spiders spin web across the mouth OF
the cavern, and say:
"We have captured him."
| Gossamer thread after goss amer thread
| is spun until the whole front of the cav
ern is covered with the spiders web, and
the spiders say:
''The lion is done; the lion is fast"
| After awhile the lion has got through
sleeping; he rouses himself, he shakes
his name, he walks out into the sunlight;
he does not even know the spiders web is
spun, and with his voice he shakes the
mountain.
So men come spinning their sophlstries
and skepticism about Jesus Christ. He
seems to be sleeping. They say:
1--WE have captured the Lord; he will
never come forth again upon the nation; (;
Christ is captured forever. His religion
will never make any conquest among
men,"
But after awhile the lion Of the Tribe Of
Judah will rouse himself and come forth
to shake nightly the nation. What's a
SPIDERS web to the aroused lionl Give
truth and error fair grapple, and truth
will come off victor.
| But there are great many good people
who get affrighted in other respects; they
are affrighted in our day about revivals.
They say:
"Ohl this is a strong religious gale; we
are afraid the Church Of God Is going to
be upset, and there are going to be a
great many people brought into the
church that are going to be of no use to